Music returns as pumps dry out New Orleans

A month after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans is almost dry again, with the removal of floodwater proceeding much faster than anticipated.

Water was still being pumped out of the heavily flooded lower Ninth Ward at the weekend, but the US Army Corps of Engineers expects to complete the job by midweek.

Tens of thousands of residents flocked back to the city at the weekend, a day after some neighbourhoods were reopened. Electricity had been restored to about 28% of the city, and live music has started up on Bourbon Street and other popular spots.